


Something Truly Beautiful

by Gates_of_Ember



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Body Image, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Scars, Will just wants Nico to love himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-27 05:16:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7605001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gates_of_Ember/pseuds/Gates_of_Ember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will fixes Nico up after he gets hurt on a mission when he recklessly swept in to save a few young demigods. Later, when Nico is feeling self-conscious about his scars, Will reminds him of the reasons why he's beautiful. </p><p>Rated T for language and innuendos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Truly Beautiful

“Godsdammit, di Angelo, hold still!” Will shouted.

“Nnngh - It’s kind of hard to when you’re sticking that thing in me!”

“Well, maybe you should’ve _thought_ before you shadow traveled into the middle of a fight with a bunch of drakons.  How many times do I have to tell you to be careful?”

 _“Ow!_ Solace, you could _try_ to be gentler.”

“Do _not_ test me, di Angelo.  I _will_ tie you up.”  Will pointed the needle at Nico threateningly from where he knelt on the floor of their apartment’s bathroom.  “Now let me finish stitching where those monsters _mauled_ you.  I’ll give you a fucking gold star if you behave.”

Nico grinned, rolling his head down to face Will.  “I’d rather have a lollipop.”

Will gave Nico’s calf another stitch, and Nico gasped at the sharp pain, not expecting it. 

“No gold star for you,” Will said.

Nico pouted.  “Mean Dr. Solace,” he muttered.

“Bad patient,” Will scolded.

He finished stitching Nico up, wrapped a bandage around his leg, and threw away his gloves before washing his hands in the bathroom sink.  “Eat your fucking ambrosia,” Will snapped as he put on another pair of gloves.  He started disinfecting his tools before putting them away in the medicine cabinet. 

Nico slumped over in his seat on the lid of the toilet and bit into the supplied square of ambrosia irritably, annoyed when the pleasant taste of Sally Jackson’s seven layer dip filled his mouth.  She’d sent some with Percy and Annabeth last time they visited, and he and Will were _hooked._

But Nico didn’t want to be happy right then.  He wanted to be angry. 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Will finally said, breaking the tense silence.  He was gripping the edge of the sink tightly with his now un-gloved hands, his head bowed and his blond hair covering part of his face from Nico’s view.  “And I’m sorry I got angry.  I was scared.”

Nico finished the last bite of his ambrosia, tilting his head back and looking at the florescent ceiling light. The afterimage stained his eyelids as he blinked, temporarily obstructing his view when he reopened his eyes.  “I screwed up,” he admitted.  “I wasn’t careful enough.  I haven’t made a mistake like that in a long time.”

“You haven’t,” Will agreed.  “You’ve been doing so well, and I’ve been so proud of the progress you’ve made over the years.  I still am.”  He took a deep breath before squatting in front of Nico, taking his hands in his own.  “Hey.  Look at me, Nico.”

Nico lolled his head down and met Will’s gaze straight on.  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.  “I messed up.  I shouldn’t’ve…I…it was stupid and I’m sorry.”

“Hey, Nico,” Will said, brushing Nico’s hair behind his ear.  “Baby, it’s okay.  You’re here and you’re safe.  We’ll get you rested up and you’ll feel just fine, alright?”

Nico nodded glumly and Will kissed his fingers. “Everyone makes mistakes,” Will said.  “But we learn from them, remember?”  Nico nodded again.  “Don’t think this makes you less great.  You’re a world-class monster fighter - you just took a hit.  Personally, I think the scars are sexy.”

Nico smiled and laughed softly, a light blush rising in his cheeks.

“What do you want to do now, Nico?  We can watch a movie, order some takeout....”

“Later,” Nico said quietly.  “Right now I just want to go to sleep.”

Will pecked his lips.  “You got it, baby boy.”

 

* * *

 

Will walked into the apartment after leaving the lab the next day, calling out to Nico that he was home.  He didn't get a response.  Thinking he heard a noise from the bedroom, he set down his laptop and went to investigate.  

Nico was standing in front of the mirrored sliding door of their closet, picking at the bandage around his calf to peek underneath it.

“You alright, Death Baby?” Will asked. 

Nico shot up in surprise, as if he hadn’t heard Will walk in. 

“You really shouldn’t be on that leg,” Will said.  “Give it some time to heal.  The ambrosia will speed up the process, but you’ve gotta take care of it.”

Nico looked down.  “Sorry.  I just....”

“Don’t want to sit in one place all day?” Will asked.  “I get that.”

Nico looked back at the mirror for a second, wearing a guilty expression.

“Nico?” Will asked.

“I wanted to see,” Nico admitted, looking down at his hands. 

“Oh,” Will said, stepping inside the room.  Nico sometimes got like this – didn’t see himself for how _pretty_ he was.  He’d get preoccupied by his scars and imagine that he was still the malnourished boy he’d been in his preteens. 

Will sat cross-legged in front of the mirror and patted his lap.  “Come here.”

Nico hesitated before settling between Will’s legs, minding the wound on his calf as he moved.  He settled back against Will’s chest and Will wrapped his arms around Nico’s waist.  “You want to know what I see?” Will asked.  He kissed Nico’s hair, meeting his eyes in the mirror.  “I see a pair of pretty dark eyes.” 

Nico blushed, scoffing.

“I’m serious, Nico!” Will said. “The first time when I met you, when we were both kids, I looked at you and all I saw at first were these two round, brown eyes.  And I thought that everything in the world must look prettier to you because those eyes were _beautiful.”_ Will threaded his fingers through Nico’s hair, watching as Nico sighed at the touch.  “I see thick, black hair.  It’s always so soft and smooth - it slides over my fingers like ink.  Every morning, when I wake up and see you sleeping next to me, I just want to run my fingers through your rumpled bed head because you look so gorgeous, even when you aren’t trying.”

Nico raised his hand to his hair, combing it behind his ear thoughtfully. 

“I see a cute little round nose,” Will continued, squishing Nico’s nose between his fingers and wiggling it around.  Nico scrunched up his face when Will took his hand away.  “You’re so adorable when you make that face.”  Running his hands up Nico’s arms, he said, “And I love these _arms._ You’re fucking _ripped,_ di Angelo.  I always love touching you here - I love feeling how strong you are.  But it’s not just your arms – have you _seen_ yourself shirtless?  You’ve got a nice set of abs, mister.”  He poked at Nico’s ribs, earning a smile.  “It’s _sexy._ And _damn, boy,_ those _thighs!”_

Nico giggled when Will touched him there – a teasing, tickling touch rather than an arousing one.  “Your _thighs._ Like, holy _fuck,_ at the risk of sounding like a complete freak, I’ve had wet dreams about your thighs alone.”

Nico full-on laughed at that, as Will’s tickling hands traveled back up to his face, fingers brushing against his mouth.  Nico stopped laughing, staring into their reflections in the mirror and watching Will’s movements. 

“I see these lips,” Will went on.  “These pretty pink lips, and I think about how soft and plush I _know_ they are.  I think about all the times I’ve kissed you over the years.  I imagine all the times I’m going to kiss you in our years to come.” 

Nico took his gaze off the mirror, turning his head to look at Will out of the corner of his eye.  When Will leaned in, Nico met him for a kiss – soft and slow. 

“I especially love it when I see those lips _smile.”_  He tapped Nico’s mouth, who broke into a shy grin at the touch.  “There it is,” he said, kissing Nico’s cheek and hugging him tightly.

“And you know what else I see?” Will asked, pulling back and looking into Nico’s eyes.  “Your scars.”  He pointed back at the mirror to draw Nico’s attention to it.  “Look, Nico,” he said.  “I see this scar here, poking out of your sleeve.  I healed that wound not long before we started dating, remember?” 

Nico nodded, smiling. 

“And I see this one,” Will continued, touching a thin white line on the inside of Nico’s forearm.  “You got this one while saving one of my little brothers from the Minotaur.” Will traced up his arm, setting on another scar above his elbow.  “And I really like this one.  You and I were out on a date, we were probaby 15, and some homophobic teenage bully started hounding us.  Wouldn’t leave us alone.  And then, when he went after me because I said something snarky to tick him off, you stepped between us and he took you instead, rammed you up against a chain link fence.  One of the wires was loose and caught on your arm, cutting you open.  I think the guy got scared when he saw the blood.  Ran off.  But you didn’t do anything to fight back because you knew he didn’t stand a chance against a demigod.  Even though he was so cruel, you were kind enough to let him go.”  Will traced down the scar thoughtfully.  “Remember what you said to me, Nico?  You said, ‘Don’t heal this scar, Solace.  I earned it.’”  Will kissed the side of Nico’s face.  “I don’t know if I ever told you how much those words meant to me.

“And then there’s this one,” Will went on, finally moving his hand to Nico’s calf, where Nico’s newest scar was forming.  “This one you got because you tried a little too hard.  Because you were so worried about everyone else that you forgot about yourself.  And that, Nico di Angelo, is something truly beautiful.”

Nico stared at his bandaged leg.  “You really think I’m that good?  Even when I don’t listen to you, even when I hold grudges or do terrible things to people–”

 _“Yes,”_ Will replied.  “Yes, Nico.  And I don’t tell you enough.  I love you, Death Baby.  I love every single bit of you.” 

Nico sobbed quietly, turning in Will’s arms so he could press against his chest.  Will kissed his forehead.  “I love you _so much,”_ he said, “and I’ll spend every day of my life reminding you why.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a kinky mirror sex fic, but I couldn’t get the scene to work. I considered maybe 15 different ways to lead up to it, but everything fell through. I just can’t have Will being kinky when Nico is upset - it feels so wrong. I can only write nice Will being super caring and thoughtful. Anyway....  
> I finally succeeded in writing a sexless fic!  
> (Maybe someday I'll make the kinky mirror sex work, though.)
> 
> BTW, I might disappear for a while. Maybe I'll have a weekly... bimonthly... or maybe monthly update. I'm going to be busy this semester. My mentor works me so hard....(I like it though). But I am almost done with a Hydras and Harpies t-shirt fic, if anyone is still interested in that - the adventure continues!


End file.
